The underlying problem

When you import raw files into Lightroom, you see the results of Fuji’s film simulation in the Import dialog box and also briefly in Library. Adobe’s own raw conversion then takes over and you get the Adobe look.

If you want Fuji’s film simulation colours in Lightroom, Develop’s Camera Calibration panel offers “profiles”. Adobe developed these in conjunction with Fujifilm engineers and they are quite close.

But there’s no way to tell which film simulation you used for a photo or set of photos. If you only used one film simulation that day, you can probably remember and can just set the profile yourself. But what if you aren’t sure, or if you took lots of photos and varied which film simulations you used? Did you choose Acros+Red or Acros+Green for that photo?

X-LR was designed to quickly and automatically overcome this problem, and it then developed extra features such as handling ratings and the Expert Mode.

Camera support

Installation

Unzip the download. You should now have a plugin called ‘jb_xLR.lrplugin’. You then install the plugin via the Lightroom plugin manager:

Move jb_xLR.lrplugin to a convenient folder of your own choosing

In Lightroom, from the File menu choose Plugin Manager

Click the “Add” button

Browse to the plugin and click “OK” on a Mac or “Add plugin” on a PC

Older Lightroom, new camera?

If your camera is too new for your version of Lightroom, the plugin will not be any benefit. I would recommend that your best way forward is to upgrade to the current version of Lightroom which will mean you also take advantage of its greatly-improved rendering of Fuji files.

Help

If you want assistance, feel free to email me or to add a comment. I try to respond quickly.

By the way, I’d love to hear where you heard of X-LR and what you think of the plugin.

Hi
I have Lightroom version: 5.7.1 [994254] and have installed jb X-LR as per Add Plugin . But it doesn’t show up
1. In the profile in Develop> Camera Callibration> Lens Profile. I have only Fujifilm FinepixX100, X100s, & X100 T being displayed in models and the Profile reads as Adobe Fujifilm with the above 3 model names. I don’t get Fuji XT 2, nor the simulations .

What am i Doing wrong?

Hope you will reply soon. Desperately looking at how to do this correct, otherwise I will need to dump LR
I didn’t have any problems while using Canon 5D M3
regards
Sree

the plug-in worked great, except it had an unexpected side effect (or perhaps I just misunderstood how it would work):

I ran the plug-in and it applied the Acros simulation. So far so good. What I didn’t expect was that by doing so it “killed” the HSL/Colour/B&W panel – I can’t do any luminance adjustments anymore. It says “Monochrome profile applied”. Is the what is meant to happen? I thought I could still, for example, adjust the blues for a dramatic sky. If this is what is meant to happen, what is the easiest way to undo the profile application for all photos?

I feel like I am missing something quite obvious here…or is it a side effect of the upgrade to LR Classic CC (which must be the most confusing rebranding ever).

The Acros and Mono profiles generate a pure B&W image. That might be OK if you chose the perfect Acros+ look when you took the picture, but it’s not ideal if you want to fine tune the B&W conversion or even switch back to colour. So for B&W, I prefer to use my own B&W presets – see the screenshot above.

I would suggest using the normal Sync Settings method in Develop to change them back. Or run the plugin again with settings like I’ve done above.

Hi,
I’ve been using the plugin for a while and love it.
However, i added it again while using the same catalog on another computer. The problem is now it runns the plugin twice (once not the way I want it) so that when I checl the ‘History’ it shows two entries for jb X-LR. How do i delete everythign and start again? I have tried reset in the plugin manager.
Tom

My appologies I have it working. Your plug-in is great and I highly recomend it.
Am I right in saying that when using expert mode is works in two stages, once setting shadows/highlights etc using expert mode and once applying film simulation? Is that why there are two entries in the history for jb X-LR?
Anyway it seems to be giving the result I want. Sorry to take up space here.

Unfortunately not. It does need Lightroom which can handle the kind of coding that is needed for the plugin to work. You can use the plugin in LR, then save the XMP which will set the correct profile in Bridge/ACR – but that’s not very convenient.

The best you can do is select all the images in LR, run the plugin, and then save the metadata back to the files. So not totally automatic, but certainly on batches – I ran it on a shoot of almost 4000 images last month.

Two things are likely here, Rhonda. One is that you haven’t entered the registration code correctly – eg a space at the start and end. Have you got the green check mark? The other is that in LR’s Plugin Manager the registration code box is empty because LR hasn’t recorded it properly. Here I recommend re-entering the code, then immediately restarting LR. Let me know if it works + glad you like the plugin. A lot of work went into it!

Using LR CC on a mid 2011 iMac. Tried downloading and installing X-LR plugin several times. Restart LR everytime I added plugin. You said in one of your threads to point plugin manager to unzipped “folder” not plugin itself. Every time I unzip the download, I get only the plugin, no folder. As result the plugin is grayed out. Yes I followed all steps repeatedly. Yes the plugin is enabled and running. Tried it wth both raf and dng files. Nothing, just a grayed out plugin. Whenever you can get to my email, I ‘d appreciate your help . Thanks.
Ed

Ed,
It’s not clear to me where the plugin is grayed out, but I wonder if Adobe’s odd way of displaying plugin menus is the problem. The plugin’s title “jb X-LR” is itself grayed out, but the Apply…. should be enabled. I’ll attach a screenshot. Does this help?
John

Hi John,
Thanks for pointing out the “Apply the film…” note. Not sure why I didn’t see it before. Guess I was focusing too much on the grayed out tab. Anyway problem solved. Thanks again and I will be purchasing this plug-in. Keep up the good work.
Ed

Hey, Ed, you probably didn’t notice it… because I only added the screenshot after reading your comment. You are not the first person to be confused by how Adobe display these menus, but maybe you’ll be the last!

You don’t give me enough information to make a good guess – Lr version? Mac or PC version? When / where do you see that message?

But I would suggest you remove the plugin from LR (via plugin manager) and from your computer (via finder/explorer), then download and re-install again, checking you installed correctly. Don’t try to install it in your Downloads folder, put it somewhere else like in Documents.

That really implies it isn’t correctly installed, Manesh. Which folder is it installed in? Documents? In Plugin Manager, are you adding the actual lrplugin package? It’s not inside another, is it – I’ve seen errors where people create a folder with .lrplugin as the extension put the plugin inside it, and then try to add the folder in Plugin Manager.

I downloaded the actual file (jb_xLR.lrplugin), not the zip file, to a my desktop and then created a special Fujifilm folder for it on the desktop, then opened LR, went to File, Plug-in Manager and then added this file. I did not add the folder, just the file. The file shows on the directory, and says “Installed but not functioning.” The Screen Status says: “This plug-in is malfunctioning and cannot be used.”

Could I just clarify what you mean by “zip version” and “direct download version”? Could you be using Safari, which seems to put a plugin directly into Downloads so you never see a zip file? When I use Firefox, I download a zip file.

Hi,
I’m using iridient X to convert .raf files to .dng and then import it to Lightroom. since i download your plug in today it open all the photos in Lightroom in black & white and i can’t change it back.
the photos are open in B&W even though they where shot in a another film simulation.
what does it happen and how can i fix it?

Did you also post in Adobe’s forum? I may have just answered this question.

It sounds like in the Import dialog box you are applying a Develop Preset which either converts the image to B&W or applies a Camera Calibration panel profile such as Acros or Mono. Or you might have saved your own default in LR and selected the Acros or Mono profiles. The plugin would not do this without being told to do so.

Hello,
I bought the plugin and I find it powerful. Anyway, I’d like to use use presets that have their own calibration profiles, is that possibile to override the native fujifilm profile? for example I love VSCO FILM presets, they have their own calibration profiles. Generally I shot Classic Chrome for the pictures I’ll process in color and Monochrome for the pictures I’ll process as BW. When I run the plugin I’d like it to apply the right preset based on the Fuji film simulation but not applying the Fuji profile. Is it possible?

Yes, you can do that. Just create a preset which applies the 3rd party profile that you want to use, and specify it for that film simulation. I would also untick the box next to Adobe’s FS, so you can be sure that only your preset will be used.

> does the plugin allow me to take a picture that was shot in Provia and turn it into Acros mode?

It doesn’t *prevent* you doing so. Its role is to *automatically* set photos to Provia if you shot Provia, Acros if you shot Acros etc.

>you cannot change the film simulation mode from the one in which it was shot

You can do that. It sounds like you need to review the first paragraphs on this page. Imagine you shot 200 pictures on a day, starting with Velvia, then Provia, then Acros R, then Acros G, then Provia. The plugin’s role is *automatically* set photos shot in Provia to Provia…..

Hi, I have just downloaded the version after 1.4 and will want to pay for it after trying it out – will I have to reload it to LR when I get the full version? Also, does the plugin allow me to take a picture that was shot in Provia and turn it into Acros mode? Also, why is your B&W with red filter better than the Acros with Red filter

I think I just read another post that syas you cannot change the film simulation mode from the one in which it was shot. That would be very cool, but I understand if that’s the case – still would be interested in comments on the other two questions

Simple answer is that you need to upgrade Lightroom. First, it will support the XPro2, and secondly the raw conversion of Fuji files is better. In Lightroom 5.7 you would see film simulations for cameras that it supports, but the Xpro2 came out about a year after Lightroom 6.

i’ve downloaded the zip, unzipped, added in plug in manager and purchased. but it will not let me register and thus can only update 5 photos at a time. i’ve tried plugging in a few numbers from email from paddle including order/invoice number, transation code and vat number. i dont even get an option to click “register.” help!

I have downloaded your jb_XLR.lrplugin and I can’t get it to work. I have followed the install instructions ie via Lightroom Plug-In Manager which says the plugin is installed and running.

If I select a photograph in the Libray or Develop modules the plugin shows up when I go to ‘File’ > ‘Plug-In Extras’. ‘jb X-LR’ is greyed out but ‘Apply the Film Simulation profile to the selected photos’ is clickable. When I click it the and tick ALL the ‘Apply’ boxes (including ‘Apply to all’ the Lightroom progress bar ays that ‘jb_XLRextracting information’.

When I go to the ‘Camera Calibration > ‘Profile’ window in the Lightroom Develop module all that is visible are the usual profiles eg Adobe Standard Kodak Gold, Camera PROVIA/STANDARD etc. There is no sign of Acros or Classic Chrome.

For reference, I am using Lightroom 5.7.1 on a Mac running OS10.7.5 and my cameras are a Fuji 100S and a Fuji XE-2.

Imagine you go out and shoot raw. 15 pics are Acros Red, 12 you did with Acros Green, 35 with Provia. Now get them in Lightroom – they’re all colour. The plugin automatically sets the profiles based on what you shot.

So where is the plugin, Louie? It should not be in User > Library > Application Support > Adobe > Lightroom itself, so remove any copy that may be there – Lightroom may be executing it automatically. Check the plugin’s path in the Status section of Plugin Mgr.

In fact, it may be best to delete any copies you have, then download and install again. Personally, I prefer a location like the desktop or Dropbox, but that Modules should install it automatically.

I think it is an installation issue, but if not feel free to email me with a DNG.

Ok so I just deleted all copies of the plug-in. I re downloaded the file, created a folder on my desktop (untitled). Added the plug-in in lightroom > restarted lightroom > I receive the same error.
The store presets with this catalog is unchecked. I am not using a catalog, just a single DNG image is uploaded.

Bought the plug in. Installed it tried it on some new files worked perfect. RAW r to Acros G perfect.Uploaded more files to a new folder tried it again does not work. Says extracting but never changes the file simulation. Windows 10 Lightroom 6.5 …errrrr!!!

The kind of things that might cause this…. Have you unchecked any of the Apply boxes? Check them all – unless you want to ignore a film simulation. Are you sure you aren’t processing JPEGs?

Have you checked the Camera Calibration Profile? Is that why you say “never changes the file simulation”? Try changing all the film simulations to Adobe standard, then re-running the plugin. If you enable the keyword option, do the images get the expected keywords?

I figured it out! I was mistaken that this tool would let you select raw files after import and pick a film simulation profile and apply that selected profile to any or all of the raw files independently of how they were shot. I see now that it not the case, that this will only extract and set the as-shot film sim to the raw file if it is selected. Or if all are selected. If you shoot in Provia and Provia is not selected it will do nothing. I get it and this makes sense and works great.

Hi, I downloaded your plugin last night and starting using it today. I am using LR CC 2015. Have you had any issues with the FILM SIM Acros showing up very blue when applied. As I import them, I see the correct BW preview, but then it converts to the blue.. Am I doing something wrong? Any advice would be appreciated.
thanks
Tracy

Regarding the questions and replies on May 25 regarding the X-T2 and LR5 it also appears that X-T2 .DNG files created by Irident X Transformer don’t have their film simulation profiles recognized by LR5?

Hi,
I am very, very interested in this product. However, have LR presets that are applied when I import. The only difference that I see (at this time without having tried your product) is that upon my import, I can only apply ONE color profile to my entire import, as opposed to your S/W selectively applying it to each raw file…
Would that about sum it up.
I might just test it though….

Hi I’ve successfully downloaded the plugin and it’s available in plugin manager. However when I select File>Import Photos and Video the LR menu bar becomes blacked out, meaning that while I can select photos in the import dialog I have no access to the menu to select File>Plugin Extras.
Operating system is Windows 10.
Please advise what am I doing wrong?
Thanks!

Aha thank you John. Maybe worth clarifying in the “How to Use” instructions that it’s not applicable in Import process, only to already imported files. I guess I should have realised that from your comment that it can be used in “Develop”.

I purchased the plugin, received PayPal confirmation and an email with my registration code. Installed exactly as directed on the website, opened it in plugin manger and entered the registration code, and tried to use the plugin, but each time I do, it pops up a box that says the Plugin Has Expired. I’ve re-entered the code several times, re-installed the plugin (which LR says is enabled and running, but always the “expired” message and nothing happens.

I saw the “retrieve registration code” box and tried that to see if I got the wrong code, but the link took me a website titled “photographer’s Toolbox by Arctic Whiteness” which says it has no record of any transaction with my email address.

Now that I’m using it, I have one other question: After applying the plugin, the photos have a tag that states, “The metadata for this photo has been changed by both Lightroom and another application. Should LR import settings from disk or overwrite disk settings with those from the catalog?” I’m guessing that the overwrite option is the correct choice, but would like to be sure. Thanks again for your great plugin and response to my first post.

hi, i got problem with this great plugin, i have lightroom 6.10. windows 10. before i made the purchase all was good… i try to re-install, but the same massage
i get this massage :an internal error has occured: func_extract_film.iua:134:attempt to undex local ‘jsondata'(anil value)”

Hi, I just installed version 1.40.1.0 on Lightroom CC 2015.10 [Windows] and later 2015.10.1 but it won’t find the Fujifilm simulations for my X100F [firmware 1.01] RAW files – only the standard Lightroom presets show up on the “Develop Preset” selections. Am I missing something?

Folks, you can really buy here – this plugin rocks!!! And so does John!

As you will see below, two days ago I had found one special configuration where it did not work as expected – mainly because of Fuji’s own irrational metadata setup in-camera. Not only did John respond extremely fast, he also extended his plugin immediately to cover the problem. The plugin REALLY works like a charm!!!

Hi, I have just installed the plugin in my LR 2015.10 and it’s impossible to activate it. I have an error message : PluginInfoProvider.lua:1: unexpected symbol
LR run under Windows 7 Pro x64.
Can you help me please?
I want to test your plugin with my X100F RAF files.
Thanks,

I have this installed on OSX 10.12.4 with LR 6.6
When i go to “Plugin extras” I see and can call up “Apply the film simulation profile to selected photos” – the next window (whicg takes a long time to open) shows the list of Fuji film simulations,with an “apply” check box next to each name.
There is no “run” button/option, only “OK” at the bottom right of the screen.
If i hit “OK” and then check the Camera Calibration box in Develop, nothing changes on a RAF file – it still says “Adobe 2012)

WHat am I doing wrong?
BTW i paid for the full version over the weekend, I’d love to get this working!
Thanks

You say Adobe 2012. So is that Process Version 2012 and Adobe Standard as the Profile? Not Provia or Velvia etc? I assume you left all the Apply boxes checked – you should, at least at this stage. Try checking the option to store the data extracts and examine the text file – I had one similar report which turned out to be a corrupt file.

Hi
“Process Version 2012 and Adobe Standard as the Profile” – Yes, thats what I see.
I hadn’t checked “apply all” – i have done that now and it read the Classic Chrome profile from my RAw file, so all is good now!
Thanks

just bought the plugin, and paid through PayPal. When installing it asks for a registration code which is not mailed. When I try to retrieve the registration code it says that it doesn’t recognise my email. I tried both my ordering email and my paypal email address. I’m afraid I lost my money not getting any registration code after ordering.

I have an older Fuji camera, an X-E1 specifically, that does not provide support for formats like Classic Chrome and ACROS. Will this plugin be able to apply a simulation of those, or will it only give access to the formats available in Lightroom’s camera calibration panel?

GREAT plug-in. Currently I shoot mostly in Provia and have created an import preset that sets all imported Fuji files to Provia/Standard, but I like to sometimes play around in Acros as well as Velvia. Hopefully there will be a discount for us “beta testers”? 🙂

Hi, I have installed it, but how do you use it? I am choosing a raw file –

Under File – plug in extra – jb X-LR (grey). Then comes: “apply the film simulation profile to selected photos” , which I push enter on to access. I apply one of the simulations and enter “run”, but nothing happens? What am I doing Wrong?

Looks really good. I’d also like to get the final version when it’s available as the current version is limited to 5 photos at a time. Any way to get it to save the mapping so you don’t have to redo it every time?

Just read your email. You definitely improve the preset selection. All the presets folders that I have in LR are shown within the plug-in. We select first the folder and second the preset exactely as we do in LR and the job is done. The only thing we cannot have before running the plug-in is a preview of the preset selection but it is a plug-in after all. Works great

Thank you SO much for this! I might actually use Lightroom for my Fuji files again now. I couldn’t believe this was not a built in feature when moving from Canon+DPP to Fuji+Lightroom, and to be honest gave up on lightroom as a result.

I would love to register for the fully functional plugin as soon as it’s available.

It’s really quite easy to understand, Roger. Camera makers don’t share their picture style or film simulation recipes with Adobe, or other third parties. So Canon picture styles don’t automatically appear in Lightroom. Instead Adobe created profiles to reproduce them, and users could choose them if they wanted. But with mirrorless cameras people always compose with a film simulation, and really want to see them in Lightroom.

Hi, perfect, great to have this. I will definitely buy it, the mentioned expert mode is great for further fine-tuning.
Would there be a way to enable this as a ‘parameterized automatic User Preset’ in Lightroom? So the development settings would be applied before the preview render process kicks in.
Typical user – always wants more…
Thanks!
Wolfgang

I’m confused. I don’t see the fuji film film simulations in the right column when I click on the pop up list. I see some Thomas X-trans settings with similar names, but not the X-trans settings by their original name, as you have in the example photo.

It seems to work fine on X-T20 files, but only tested with Across.
I have a lot of preset folders, which makes the selection a little hard.
Also, maybe indicate that it will apply the calibration profile even if you don’t select a preset (it wasn’t directly obvious to me).

Hi…I have been using X.LR this morning and really appreciate the work that you have put into the plug-in. I would really like to have the finished version. Works well on my X100S and X-Pro2. Thanks again Hal

hey John
I would love to use your plug in for LR 9.9 with my fuji files.
I don’t know how to get it into Lightroom.
Any chance you could let me know, even though this might be a lame request 🙂
I will let you know how it works on my raw files both on the X100F and XT2

Great idea, I own some, too may, Fujifim X camera, and, the best workflow right now is to use an import preset to set the Lr “Camera Calibration” Profile emulation. So it is import based and I loose the filme Profile selected on the Camera.

Some reflexions, taking in acount the ISO setting to set the proper “Details” Noise and sharpening would be of great help. For sure RAW users use the ISO setting.

But, that could bring some complicaitons as the Detail settings are not only ISO dependent but also camera dependent.

Some reflexions, taking in acount the ISO setting to set the proper “Details” Noise and sharpening would be of great help. For sure RAW users use the ISO setting.
But, that could bring some complicaitons as the Detail settings are not only ISO dependent but also camera dependent.

That may be in an “expert mode” which lets the user figure out the Fuji data and enter the parameters in a text file.